Man arrested in connection with Winchester murder

A Romoland man has been arrested in connection with the fatal
shooting of a Sun City man, whose bullet-riddled body was found in
his car earlier this month.

Angel Orozco Nunez, 26, was arrested Friday night on suspicion
of murder in the death of 27-year-old Freddy Villareal, Riverside
County sheriff's Sgt. Frank Taylor said Monday.

Villareal, who was also known as Edgar Gonzalez, was found dead
Jan. 13 inside his car about 250 yards north of Simpson Road, east
of the Leon Road intersection, authorities said. He had been shot
multiple times, according to investigators.

Nunez and Villareal were acquaintances who had previously worked
together at a farm in Romoland, Taylor said. Villareal was a
Mexican national who worked as a handyman and was unemployed at the
time of his death, Taylor said.

"There were ongoing problems between the two of them," Taylor
said, declining to be more specific about the nature of the
dispute.

"They ended up together in Winchester in the victim's vehicle,"
the sergeant said.

Authorities say they suspect Nunez shot Villanueva several times
in the car.

Nunez then fled and may have discarded the weapon somewhere in
the area, Taylor said.

On Saturday, investigators -- assisted by specially trained
canine teams -- conducted an extensive search of the area around
the shooting scene, hoping to find the gun.

After a search that took most of the afternoon, no weapon had
been found, he said.

Taylor asked that anyone who may find a weapon in the area of
Simpson, Leon and Winchester roads stay away from it and call the
Sheriff's Department.

Taylor didn't specify what type of weapon may have been used to
kill Villareal, saying the investigation into the murder is still
proceeding.

Investigators identified Nunez as the prime suspect in the crime
and interviewed him at Hemet Sheriff's Station on Friday night.
They then arrested him in connection with Villareal's death, Taylor
said.

Nunez was booked Saturday at Southwest Detention Center in
French Valley, where he remained in custody Monday night in lieu of
$500,000 bail, a jail spokeswoman said.